Maine Question 1, Technology Sectors Funds and Business Loans Bond Issue (June 2017)

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Maine Question 1
Flag of Maine.png
Election date
June 13, 2017
Topic
Bond issues and Economic development
Status
Approveda Approved
Type
Bond issue
Origin
State Legislature

2017 measures
Seal of Maine.png
June 13, 2017
Maine Question 1
November 7, 2017
Maine Question 1
Maine Question 2
Maine Question 4
Maine Question 3

Maine Question 1, the Technology Sectors Funds and Business Loans Bond Issue, was on the ballot in Maine as a legislatively referred bond question on June 13, 2017.[1] The measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported issuing $50 million in bonds for infrastructure and equipment upgrades in the state's targeted technology sectors and loans to businesses with potential for growth and job creation.
A "no" vote opposed this measure to issue $50 million in bonds.

Overview

Design of the bond issue

Question 1 was designed to issue $50 million in bonds, with $45 million for the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) and $5 million for the Maine Venture Fund (MVF). MTI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) economic development corporation funded by the state government.[2] The measure instructed MTI to spend the $45 million on infrastructure and equipment upgrades in the state's seven targeted technology sectors: biotechnology, composites and advanced materials, environmental technologies, forest products and agriculture, information technology, marine technology and aquaculture, and precision manufacturing.[3] MVF, also referred to as the Small Enterprise Growth Fund (SEGF) in state law, is a state-sponsored venture capital fund that invests in Maine businesses.[4] Question 1 provided MVF with $5 million to spend on making loans to or investing in small businesses with potential for growth and job creation. The measure was written to require that the bonds be repaid in no more than 10 years.[1]

Bond issues in Maine

Voters of Maine cast ballots on 32 bond issues, totaling $967.9 million in value, between January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2017. All but one bond issue question was approved. Question 1 was was designed to issue bonds related to economic development. There were four similar bond issues on the ballot during the 10 previous years, with one in 2007, one in 2010, and two in 2014. All four of the measures were approved, issuing a combined total of $97.8 million in bonds. As of December 31, 2016, Maine had $447.23 million in debt from voter-issued bonds.[5] In November 2016, voters approved a $100 million bond to fund transportation projects.

Election results

Question 1
ResultVotesPercentage
Approveda Yes 63,468 61.61%
No39,54938.39%
Election results from Maine Secretary of State

Results unavailable

Until June 21, 2017, the state election results for Question 1 were not available. The secretary of state gave municipal clerks three days to provide the office with unofficial results. Kristen Muszynski, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office, said the office was able to release unofficial results. However, the office was not required to release unofficial results. According to the Bangor Daily News, "Unlike with most statewide elections, the Bangor Daily News and the Associated Press didn’t collect results from each Maine municipality for the June 2017 election." Results from some of Maine's largest cities, including Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor, showed the measure passing in those locations.[6][7]

On June 20, 2017, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap (D) said the bond measure was approved.[8] On June 21, Dunlap said the measure passed 63,468 to 39,549.[9][10]

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:[1]

Do you favor a $50,000,000 bond issue to provide $45,000,000 in funds for investment in research, development and commercialization in the State to be used for infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share, to increase revenues and to expand employment or preserve jobs for Maine people, to be awarded through a competitive process to Maine-based public and private entities, leveraging other funds in a one-to-one ratio and $5,000,000 in funds to create jobs and economic growth by lending to or investing in small businesses with the potential for significant growth and strong job creation?[11]

Full text

The full text of the measure was as follows:[1]

An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Stimulate Investment in Innovation by Maine Businesses To Produce Nationally and Globally Competitive Products and Services

Preamble. Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the issuance of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this Act.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an amount not exceeding $50,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Act. The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State. The bonds may not run for a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds.

Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale and the date when payable.

Sec. 3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated. The Treasurer of State may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set forth in this Act. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general obligation bonds.

Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. The Treasurer of State shall pay interest due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment of bonds at maturity.

Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies and entities set forth in this section.

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF

Maine Technology Institute
Provides funds for investment in research, development and commercialization in the State's 7 targeted technology sectors to be used for infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share and to expand employment or preserve jobs.
Total: $45,000,000

FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE

Small Enterprise Growth Fund
Provides funds to recapitalize the Small Enterprise Growth Fund in order to create jobs and economic growth by lending to or investing in small businesses with the potential for significant growth and strong job creation.
Total: $5,000,000

Sec. 6. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. Sections 1 to 5 do not become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set forth in this Act.

Sec. 7. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, all unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward. Bond proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general obligation bonds.

Sec. 8. Bonds authorized but not issued. Any bonds authorized but not issued within 5 years of ratification of this Act are deauthorized and may not be issued, except that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not to exceed 5 years.

Sec. 9. Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at a statewide election held in June of 2017. The municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:

"Do you favor a $50,000,000 bond issue to provide $45,000,000 in funds for investment in research, development and commercialization in the State to be used for infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share, to increase revenues and to expand employment or preserve jobs for Maine people, to be awarded through a competitive process to Maine-based public and private entities, leveraging other funds in a one-to-one ratio and $5,000,000 in funds to create jobs and economic growth by lending to or investing in small businesses with the potential for significant growth and strong job creation?"

The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the returns. If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of the proclamation.

The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.

Fiscal note

The treasurer's statement for the measure was as follows:[5]

Treasurer's Statement

The State of Maine borrows money by issuing bonds. General Obligation bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the State and must be submitted statewide to voters for approval.

Once approved, the Treasurer issues bonds as needed to fund the approved bond projects and uses a rapid 10-year repayment of principal strategy to retire the debt.

If the bond proposals on the ballot in June 2017 are approved by the voters, general obligation debt service as a percentage of the State’s General Fund, Highway Fund and Revenue Sharing appropriations is expected to be 2.30% in FY17 and 2.78% in FY18.

The following is a summary of general obligation bond debt of the State of Maine as of 12/31/2016.

Maine June 2017 Referendum Fiscal.png

If the bonds submitted here are approved by voters and issued for the full statutory period authorized, an estimate of the total interest and principal that may reasonably be expected to be paid is $63,750,000.00, representing $50,000,000.00 in principal and $13,750,000.00 in interest.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2017
Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The Maine State Legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.


The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 42, and the FRE is -26. The word count for the ballot title is 101, and the estimated reading time is 26 seconds.


Support

Mainers for Job Growth 2017.png

Mainers for Job Growth led the campaign in support of the bond measure.[12]

Sponsors

This bond measure was sponsored in the Maine State Legislature by the following lawmakers:[13]

Organizations

The website for Mainers for Job Growth listed the following organizations as supporters:[12]

  • Maine BioScience
  • University of New England
  • Maine Medical Center Research Institute
  • Downeast Institute
  • The Jackson Laboratory
  • Alumni Association
  • RockStep
  • Corning
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • MDI Biological Laboratory

Arguments

Rep. Louie Luchini (D-132) said:[14]

The rationale for this bond issuance is simple - investing in research and development is a tremendous economic development tool, and the eligible industries already create thousands of good paying careers in Maine. These high-tech industries are the jobs of the future and will help our aging state attract young people to live, work, and raise their families here in the state of Maine.[11]

Sen. John Patrick (D-18) said:[15]

Research and development are critical for attracting new jobs to our state, and to training the workforce to fill those jobs. Maine has lagged behind the rest of New England in these critical investments for our future, and I’m happy to support this bond to get us back on track.[11]

Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond (D-27) stated:[16]

Investing in these two critical areas will make Maine more competitive. There are many ways we could have chosen to invest in our state, but these two areas are among the most critical toward helping Mainers prosper.[11]

Opposition

In the Maine State Legislature, 10 representatives and four senators voted against referring the bond issue to the ballot.[13]

Arguments

Rep. Beth O'Connor (R-5), who voted against the legislative bill for the bond, said:[17]

As a rule in government I oppose bonding. I believe in priority based budgeting that scrutinizes what will net taxpayers the greatest economic value for their hard earned dollars. I am rather uncomfortable passing on debt to my children, grandchild, friends, neighbors to finance projects that they may or may not yield a positive rate of return, that they had no say in. They will pay this debt plus interest. If I ran my home the way government promoted bonding occurs I fear I would live outside in a cardboard box. But then I see it is very easy for some people to spend other peoples money. If it grew on trees Maine would be a wealthy state.[11]

Campaign finance

Total campaign contributions:
Support: $119,750.00
Opposition: $0.00
See also: Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures

One political action committee, the Maine Economic Growth Coalition PAC, was registered in support of the measure as of July 17, 2017. The committee received $119,750 in cash contributions and spent $118,000. All contributions were received between April 27, 2017, and June 2, 2017. The top donor to the campaign was the PC Construction Company, which contributed $25,000.[18]

Opponents of the measure did not form a committee to receive and spend funds.[18]

July 17, 2017, was the filing date for the last campaign finance period that included the election on June 13, 2017, and preceding days.[19]

Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions Cash Expenditures Total Expenditures
Support $119,750.00 $0.00 $119,750.00 $118,000.00 $118,000.00
Oppose $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total $119,750.00 $0.00 $119,750.00 $118,000.00 $118,000.00

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.[18]

Committees in support of Question 1
Committee Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions Cash Expenditures Total Expenditures
Maine Economic Growth Coalition PAC $119,750.00 $0.00 $119,750.00 $118,000.00 $118,000.00
Total $119,750.00 $0.00 $119,750.00 $118,000.00 $118,000.00

Donors

The following were the top donors to the committee.[18]

Donor Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions
PC Construction Company $25,000.00 $0.00 $25,000.00
University of Maine Foundation $20,000.00 $0.00 $20,000.00
ABM Mechanical $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
MaineHealth $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
The Jackson Laboratory $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Media editorials

See also: 2017 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

  • Bangor Daily News said: "Maine has woefully underfunded research and development for decades, lagging most other states, and lawmakers have failed to make this spending an ongoing priority. Question 1 is an important step in getting Maine back on track. Voters should support it."[20]
  • Portland Press Herald said: "The Maine economy is in the middle of a historic transition. We have seen the first part in the form of mill closures and the loss of manufacturing jobs. The other part is figuring out what’s next. Growing the state’s capacity to compete in research and development in biological sciences is part of the next step. Voters should make a point of getting to their polling station and saying “yes” to an important investment in the future."[21]

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not find media editorials opposing the measure. If you are aware of an editorial, please email it to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background

Bond issues on the ballot in Maine

See also: Bond issues on the ballot

Voters of Maine cast ballots on 32 bond issues, totaling $967,925,000 in value, from January 1, 2007, through January 1, 2017. All but one bond issue, an $11 million bond to expand the state's community college system, was approved. This means that Mainers approved 96.9 percent of bond issues on the ballot during the 10 years prior to June 2017.

Question 1 was designed to issue bonds related to economic development. There were four similar bond issues on the ballot during the 10 previous years, with one in 2007, one in 2010, and two in 2014. All four of the measures were approved, issuing a combined total of $97,750,000 in bonds. The bond issue in 2007 was titled Question 2 and issued $55 million in bonds, with $50 million going toward the Maine Technology Institute to help develop the state's targeted technology sectors. Question 4 of 2010 issued $23.75 million in bonds for downtown revitalization projects, grants for research and development and commercialization projects, grants for agriculture and natural resource industries, and loans to small businesses. In 2014, Question 3 issued $8 million in bonds for flexible loans to small businesses, and Question 7 issued $7 million in bonds to facilitate growth of marine businesses.

Prior to the election on June 13, 2017, the most recent bond issue that citizens voted on was a $100 million transportation bond titled Question 6.

The following table contains information on the 32 bond issues that appeared on the ballot in Maine between January 1, 2007 and June 1, 2017:

Debt from voter-approved bonds

The Maine state treasurer provides an overview of the state’s debt resulting from general obligation bonds, which include all voter-approved bonds, each year on June 30.[22] The treasurer also provided an overview of debt resulting from general obligation bonds as of December 31, 2016, as background information for Question 1.[5] A general obligation bond constitutes public debt and is paid for through state funds. Section 14 of Article IX of the Maine Constitution requires that general obligation bonds exceeding $2 million be referred to the ballot for voter approval.

According to the state treasurer's overview on December 31, 2016, Maine had $447.23 million in debt from general obligation bonds. An additional $49.88 million had been approved by voters at the ballot box but not yet issued.[5][23] The December 2016 debt from general obligation bonds was higher than the July 2015 debt, which was $420.80 million with an additional $63.12 million in unissued bonds.[24] The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds and the annual amount of unissued bonds in millions of dollars between June 30, 2005, and December 31, 2016:

Recipients of the proposed bond

Question 1 was designed to issue $50 million in bonds, with $45 million for the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) and $5 million for the Maine Venture Fund (MVF). Both the MTI and MVF were established in the 1990s.

Maine Technology Institute

Maine Technology Institute 2017.png

The Maine State Legislature passed legislation in 1999 to establish the Maine Technology Institute (MTI).[25] MTI is a state-funded nonprofit corporation tasked with encouraging economic development in Maine. The firm provides grants, loans, and investment to aid businesses with commercialization and in researching, developing, and applying technologies to produce products and services.[26] Question 1 provided MTI with $45 million to spend on infrastructure and equipment upgrades in the state's seven targeted technology sectors: biotechnology, composites and advanced materials, environmental technologies, forest products and agriculture, information technology, marine technology and aquaculture, and precision manufacturing.[1]

A 15-member board of directors governs MTI. The governor is responsible for appointing 10 of the directors, with at least eight representing the state's targeted technology sectors and two demonstrating experience in finance and venture capital investment. The remaining directors with voting privileges are the commissioner of the Maine Economic and Community Development Department, the president of the Maine Community College System, and the chancellor of the University of Maine System. The final two members of the board, the director of the Office of Policy and Management and the director of MTI appointed by the governor and approved by the board, do not have voting privileges.[25]

Between 1999 and 2017, MTI invested around $180 million in 2,000 projects in Maine. Some of the largest recipients MTI funds included the University of Maine ($11,399,834), The Jackson Laboratory ($50,464,607), the University Of New England ($7,718,359), Advanced Structures & Composites Center ($6,234,844), and the Bigelow Laboratory For Ocean Sciences ($5,456,216).[27]

Maine Venture Fund

Maine Venture Fund 2017.png

The Maine Venture Fund (MVF) is referred to as the Small Enterprise Growth Fund (SEGF) in state statute. The state created the venture capital fund in 1995. According to MVF's mission statement, the fund is designed to "provide resources to attract, support, and help develop eligible small businesses with the potential for substantial growth and success..."[4] Question 1 provided MVF with $5 million to spend on making loans to or investing in small businesses with potential for growth and job creation.[1] MVF considers capital investment for businesses with 50 or fewer employees or with gross sales not exceeding $5 million.[28]

MVF is governed by an 11-member board, called the Small Enterprise Growth Board, with each member appointed by the governor. Statute requires the governor to appoint one member who is a commercial lender and one member who is an attorney knowledgeable of securities law, five members with experience in high-growth small businesses, three members with knowledge and experience in technological innovation, and the commissioner of the Economic and Community Development Department.[28]

Path to the ballot

See also: Legislatively-referred state statute

Section 14 of Article IX of the Maine Constitution requires that state bonds exceeding $2 million be referred to the ballot for voter approval. A two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Maine Legislature is required to put bond issues before voters.

In the 2016 legislative session, the legislature approved LD 1053, calling for this $50 million bond issue referendum. On April 15, 2016, the measure was approved in the Maine House of Representatives, with 134 representatives voting in favor and 10 voting against referral. The Maine Senate also approved the measure on April 15, 2016, with 28 senators voting in favor and four voting against referral. Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed the legislation.[13][16]

The initial proposal was designed to put all $50 million into the Maine Technology Institute and would have placed the question before voters in November 2016. The bill was amended, however, to divide up the bond revenue between the Maine Technology Institute and Maine Venture Fund and move the election date to June 2017.[29]

Vote in the Maine State Senate
April 15, 2016
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of those present in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 22  Approveda
YesNoNot voting
Total2840
Total percent87.5%12.5%N/A

Vote in the Maine House of Representatives
April 15, 2016
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of those present in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 96  Approveda
YesNoNot voting
Total134107
Total percent93.1%6.90%N/A

Related measures

See also: Bond issues on the ballot
Bond issues measures on the ballot in 2017
StateMeasures
West VirginiaWest Virginia Amendment 1: Bonds for Roads and Bridges Measure Approveda
New JerseyNew Jersey Public Question 1: Bonds for Public Libraries Measure Approveda
MaineMaine Question 3: Transportation Bond Issue Approveda

State profile

Demographic data for Maine
 MaineU.S.
Total population:1,329,453316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):30,8433,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:95%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:1.1%5.1%
Native American:0.6%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:1.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.6%86.7%
College graduation rate:29%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,331$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.6%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maine.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Maine

Maine voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, eight are located in Maine, accounting for 3.88 percent of the total pivot counties.[30]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Maine had seven Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Maine coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

External links

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Maine 2017 Business Bond. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Maine Legislature, "LD 1053," April 15, 2016
  2. Maine Technology Institute, "FAQ," accessed January 6, 2017
  3. Maine Technology Institute, "Technology Sectors," accessed January 6, 2017
  4. 4.0 4.1 Maine Venture Fund, "About MVF," accessed January 6, 2017
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Maine Secretary of State, "Treasurer's Statement for June 2017 Referendum Election," accessed May 4, 2017
  6. Bangor Daily News, "Maine’s $50 million tech bond appears likely to pass easily," June 14, 2017
  7. Portland Press Herald, "Larger communities pass $50 million technology bond; vote total unknown," June 14, 2017
  8. Maine Public, "Passing of Bond Issue Referendum Will Help Schools and Businesses," June 20, 2017
  9. Portland Press Herald, "Final vote totals show easy passage of $50 million tech bond," June 21, 2017
  10. The Ellsworth American, "Secretary of State announces $50-million bond issue passed handily," June 21, 2017
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Mainers for Job Growth, "Homepage," accessed June 12, 2017
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Maine Legislature, "Summary of LD 1053," accessed April 21, 2016
  14. Maine Legislature, "Testimony of Rep. Louie Luchini," June 4, 2015
  15. Maine Sun Journal, "House passes bond bill for transportation, as Maine lawmakers scurry to finish," April 15, 2016
  16. 16.0 16.1 Portland Press Herald, "Legislature passes highway, R&D bond bills worth $150 million," April 16, 2016
  17. Ballotpedia staff, "E-mail with Rep. Beth O'Connor," June 5, 2017
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices, "Ballot Question Committees," accessed July 17, 2017
  19. Maine Secretary of State, "Upcoming Dates," accessed July 17, 2017
  20. Bangor Daily News, "Yes on Question 1: A needed investment in research and innovation in Maine," June 8, 2017
  21. Portland Press Herald, "Our View: We support Question 1, a $50 million investment in science," June 13, 2017
  22. Maine State Treasurer, "Bonds on the Ballot," accessed January 12, 2017
  23. Maine State Treasurer, "Maine's Debt Snapshot - 6/30/16," June 30, 2016
  24. Maine State Treasurer, "Maine's Debt Snapshot - 6/30/15," June 30, 2015
  25. 25.0 25.1 Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes: §15302. Maine Technology Institute," accessed January 10, 2017
  26. Maine Technology Institute, "Mission," accessed January 10, 2017
  27. Maine Technology Institute, "Awardees," accessed January 10, 2017
  28. 28.0 28.1 Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes: Title 10, Chapter 13: Small Enterprise Growth Program," accessed January 10, 2016
  29. Maine Legislature, "Amendment to LD 1053," accessed January 10, 2017
  30. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.